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The Philippines is considered a major boxing territory and with 3 current world champions, a cluster of world contenders and a number of gifted youngsters both in the professional and amateur ranks the garden would seem pretty rosy, however, if underlying problems regarding the sport in the country aren’t addressed then boxing could fade away in to obscurity which would be criminal given the rich history of fabulous fighters to have come from the Philippines.

Manny Pacquiao has carried the boxing expectations on his shoulders for his homeland for at least the last decade and whilst Nonito Donaire enjoyed good success in the US and Brian Viloria and Donnie Nietes have been quality champions in their own right the Philippines has failed to nurture enough elite fighters or mould the next superstar who can take boxing forward. Of course its holy unrealistic to expect someone like Pacquiao who completely transcended sport, let alone boxing to just reappear but the country hasn’t capitalised on having such a figure.

Not being a cash rich nation finances are an obvious hurdle with minuscule purses available early on for young fighters and sports such as basketball being a preferred and more viable option. Top amateurs are also hesitant to turn pro and give up their regular income from the national team. Many Filipino boxers are sent out on the road often from very early on in their careers and whilst this can instil great mental strength it can also have the opposite effect and shorten careers and see promising talents go to waste. We have also seen the likes of Mark John Yap, Genesis Servania and Ricky Sismundo leave home and continue their careers in Japan with a solid degree of success.

Johnriel Casimero, Marlon Tapales, Rey Loreto and even Jerwin Ancajas have been involved in world title bouts in the last couple of years but if you lived in the Philippines you may have not even known they had taken place with no TV coverage at all. Ancajas triumphant IBF super flyweight victory over McJoe Arroyo last September at home was broadcast on Rappler.com’s Facebook page, otherwise people would have had to rely on social media for updates. It’s hard to think of any other established boxing nation who would not have had even a regional broadcaster for a home world title fight. Milan Melindo’s magnificent knockout of Akira Yaegashi to capture the IBF light flyweight crown this May only received severely delayed viewing having originally been scheduled to be shown a couple of hours later.

ABS-CBN are the only TV outlet consistently showing boxing on a regular basis as the channel broadcasts ALA’s Pinoy Pride cards. The Pinoy Pride series showcases ALA’s top fighters including Donnie Nietes, Milan Melindo and numerous others. With a limited number of dates and slots it’s simply not possible for every Filipino fighter of significance to appear on these shows and the last thing the country needs is a monopoly with every boxer under 1 promotional banner. Having boxing spread across multiple TV stations can create annoying divisions at times with egos preventing different entities from working with each other but for me the healthy competition to put on the best possible product outweigh those problems.

Another stumbling block within Filipino boxing is the promotional aspect with most small hall shows taking place in malls where admission is free. This might sound good but you create an understandable apathy amongst fans who become used to attending for free and then are hesitant to part with their cash. Big ticket sellers are an essential part of the UK scene and often fighters who shift more tickets are prioritised regardless of their ability. Building a genuine draw can also make life a lot easier when it comes to securing home advantage for a fighter’s first world title bout for example.

With the way people view content changing all the time various promoters around the world have distributed shows on various online platforms giving fans access to undercards and lower profile events. Rappler.com has provided live or delayed coverage for various bills around the Philippines but promoters in the country really need to think about using the internet to showcase their fighters and at least try and build a fan base and create a buzz. There may be a cost factor preventing this from happening but a longer term view needs to be taken and with more available footage the bigger the chance that a top flite promoter in the US would be interested in signing a potential Pinoy talent. Even the Pinoy Pride bills are hard to watch for international viewers which is frustrating for the likes of myself. Note, Sanman Promotions has taken to live streaming their cards using multiple camera angles to try and gain their fighter’s some publicity.

Lastly as an outsider it really is hard to fathom why there is such a reticence to make all Filipino bouts of intrigue. Jonas Sultan won an eliminator over Johnriel Casimero to earn a crack at IBF super flyweight titlist Jerwin Ancajas. If it takes place it will be the first all Filipino world title clash since Pancho Villa fought Clever Sencio for the flyweight crown back in May 1925 which is absolutely staggering.

Being from the UK its routine that an all British tussle of significance would gain far more attention than a contest involving a brit and a good quality foreign pugilist so it’s difficult for me to comprehend the unease about seeing 2 boxers from the same country facing each other. The reasons given by many are that gaining more Filipino world champions is the priority and only then should these fights be discussed. A matchup between super bantamweights Jeo Santisima and Jack Tepora was briefly talked about before ABS-CBN put a kybosh on it for the reasons stated above along with neither man is well known. A bout like Santisima Tepora allows all those involved to gage what level their fighter is at and react accordingly.

​A strong domestic structure enables everyone to identify those who are capable of moving on to world level and those who are either domestic and regional level or need to rebuild. There is also the potential to build intriguing rivalries between the gyms and promotional outfits within the Philippines. Japan is a perfect illustration and blueprint that could be followed as fighters from the land of the rising sun must prove they are the best in their country or region before ascending to a world title. Finally in my opinion the negative attitude to all Pinoy bouts whether it’s from the fans, media or TV execs badly needs to change if the Philippines is to move forward and reach its boxing potential.

It was a rollercoaster night of emotions at the StubHub Center as the 115 lb division took centre stage with 3 bouts of significance featuring on a card that was broadcast on both HBO and Sky Sports.

First up was an all Mexican dustup between Juan Francisco Estrada and Carlos Cuadras. The first 6 rounds saw much activity from Cuadras whilst the accuracy was coming from Estrada and depending on which commentary you were viewing you could have been swayed either way that one man was dominating.

Having had it level myself after 6 I thought Estrada pulled away in the second half of the contest and a knockdown in the 10th stanza sealed the deal in what was a thoroughly absorbing and enjoyable 12 rounder. To most people’s surprise Cuadras was initially announced to have prevailed with scores of 114-113 from all 3 judges before announcer Michael Buffer corrected his mistake to much amusement from many. Estrada is now mandatory for WBC champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and after taking on weak opposition in recent times let’s hope that the talented Mexican competes on the world class level on a regular basis. As for Cuadras there are still plenty of good fights for him in a loaded weight class.

Next up was the anticipated US debut of WBO boss Naoya Inoue who took on Antonio Nieves. Not much was expected from the challenger and he was broken down by a piston like jab and a crippling body attack and his corner wisely pulled him out after round 6. Let’s be honest Inoue did what he was supposed to but the plan was to leave a good impression on those who haven’t witnessed him before and in that sense it was mission accomplished.

Whilst bouts with Srisaket and Estrada are an intriguing prospect unfortunately the 2 potential super fights with Roman Gonzalez and Shinsuke Yamanaka are now down the drain and with bantamweight being a shallow pool of talent it may be a while before the 24-year-old faces another elite fighter. A move up to 118 lb seems to be the next move for Inoue with an end of year fight in Japannext up. With the WBC strap in flux and Ryan Burnett taking on Zhanat Zhakiyanov in October WBO titlist Zolani Tete looks the most feasible option and the South African would provide an interesting stylistic match up for the man known as ‘Monster’.

Finally it was on to the main event as Roman Gonzalez aimed to avenge his defeat to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. Srisaket won a close points decision in March but there was no doubt this time as Gonzalez was knocked out in 4 rounds with 2 crunching right hooks ending proceedings to the shock of many in attendance and watching at home. Having begun his world title run at strawweight campaigning at 115 lb was always a stretch and there were signs in his hard-fought win over Carlos Cuadras that the numerous fights were taking their toll and the second go around with the ferocious hard hitting Srisaket proved to be a mountain too far.

As someone who honestly doesn’t give a shit about pound 4 pound lists or the Hall of Fame I’ll let others debate that until the cows come home but there is no doubt that the Nicaraguan is an all-time great and has been one of the best boxers that there has ever been in the lower weight classes. Putting aside his last 6 contests which appeared on HBO or HBO PPV Gonzalez reigned supreme as a world champion for just under 7 years, defeating the likes of Yutaka Niida, Katsunari Takayama, Juan Fransisco Estrada, Francisco Rodriguez Jr, Akira Yaegashi and Rocky Fuentes. When you add in the victories against Edgar Sosa, Brian Viloria, McWilliams Arroyo and Carlos Cuadras it makes you realise what an incredible career the 30-year-old has had.

A genuine 4 weight world champion unlike the manufactured career of Adrian Broner Gonzalez never ran from a challenge, faced the best available competition and dared to be great in stretching his body to the limit and will be remembered as such by all true boxing fans

Gonzalez was also a pioneer having headlined his own card on HBO which was unheard of for someone of his size and nationality. For some unknown reason there were these ridiculous barriers that prevented American TV channels from showcasing fighters below bantamweight but hopefully those days are over and going forward every boxer who is given a chance on a major platform around the flyweight and super flyweight division should be eternally appreciative of the man known as ‘Chocolatito’.

If Gonzalez does bow out it also signals the end of an era for the Teiken Gym with the retirement of Takashi Miura and Shinsuke Yamanaka expected to finish his career in the very near future. All 3 have been at the forefront of the Gym and replacements will have to be found which should come in time given the amount of talent in Japan and the vast amount of knowledge and experience within the Teiken team.

Finally after being subjected to one of the most condescending, unprofessional and fucking disgraceful post-fight interviews by HBO’s Max Kellerman after his first win over Gonzalez, Srisaket is due a huge amount of respect and credit after repeating the dose in such emphatic fashion.

A real heart-warming story of rising from poverty to world champion the 30-year-old can hopefully be a springboard and inspiration for boxers in his homeland. Thailand has seen many contenders fall well short of world level in the last few years and although Wanheng Menayothin and Knockout CP Freshmart are solid champions in their own right Srisaket succeeding on such a big stage elevates him on to a different stratosphere altogether. Despite the number of fights Srisaket came to boxing late and has had many knock over jobs in Thailand so there should still be plenty left in the tank of the marauding southpaw who is a threat to any super flyweight on the planet.

This past weekend saw the conclusion of the 2017 AIBA world championships which were held in Hamburg Germany. The competition began with 243 boxers and eventually 10 came through 8 days of gruelling action to take gold. With much to ponder here are a few general thoughts from the tournament as a whole.

Having planned to watch the action and record the results from the start the provided stream was blocked to my utter annoyance. In the UK the BBC showed proceedings from the quarter-finals onwards meaning of course the AIBA stream was made unavailable but no explanation was given for why viewers in Britain were unable to access the early stages of the championships.

This isn’t the first time I have had issues with the Olympic channel feed as it has proved unreliable for various Youth and continental tournaments with it either not materialising or cutting out for sizable portions of fights thus resulting in results being missed or important stages of various contests not being seen. The 2015 world championships in Doha was broadcast on YouTube and there were no issues at all from what I can recall so why the change was made is anyone’s guess.

Most will be aware of the huge internal disputes within AIBA and having not delved deep in to the power struggle I’ve no opinion either way but it’s clear from a boxing prospective that a better quality and more consistent stream is necessary along with scoring continuing to be monitored. Speaking of judging from the action I was able to watch the scoring was pretty solid with the quarter-final heavyweight contest between Evgeny Tishchenko and David Nyika standing out as the one atrocious decision. There were some unfathomable cards and Hasanboy Dusmatov and Israil Madrimov can count themselves thoroughly unlucky in their respective contests versus Joahnys Argilagos and Troy Isley respectively. Scoring is a routinely discussed subject in professional boxing and it both codes poor judging must be made accountable at all times.

On to matters in the ring and from an Asian standpoint the tournament was a huge success with the continent boasting 26 of the 80 quarter-finalists and claiming 15 of the 40 medals with 2 gold, 5 silvers and 8 bronze. As expected Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan lead the way with 6 medals each and India, Mongolia and South Korea all grabbed a bronze each.

Uzbekistan will have expected more than 1 gold and they’ll be disappointed at Murodjon Akhmadaliev and Israil Madrimov not reaching the semi-final stage but welterweight victor Shakhram Giyasov showed all the necessary ingredients to be a real star. Kazakhstan are in a rebuilding phase and should be very satisfied with their 1 gold, 2 silvers and 3 Bronze medals and in Ablaikhan Zhussupov and Abilkhan Amankul the country has 2 fantastic young fighters who will only improve with more experience.

India may have hoped for more than a solitary Bronze and lightweight Shiva Thapa being ruled out of the tournament due to illness was a huge blow but the youngsters Gaurav Bidhuri, who captured bantamweight bronze, Amit Panghal and Kavinder Bisht all performed extremely well and with some fabulous talent in the youth and junior levels boxing in the country has a bright future. Mongolia continue to punch above their weight and produce world class operators who are capable of reaching the podium and South Korea’s flyweight Kim Inkyu should be in the mix for medals in the next few years. Japan will be reliant on the exciting youth and junior boxers coming through and worryingly China continue to flounder and the nation didn’t claim a single medal.

Outside of Asia Cuba had a sensational tournament winning 5 golds and light welterweight Andy Cruz was my boxer of the tournament as his exquisite skills proved far too much for all his opponents and providing he stays clear of injury it’s hard to see anyone coming close to him in the future. The fight of the tournament came in the semi-finals as light flyweights Hasanboy Dusmatov and Yurberjen Martinez served up 9 minutes of exhilarating action in a bout that was more than worthy of being the final. Finally, whilst there were many established names who achieves silverware there were also lots of new faces and exciting young pugilists who should be around for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

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It was time for the finals of the 2017 world championships in Hamburg Germany and there were 7 Asian boxers going for gold.

We began at light flyweight (49kg) as Cuba’s Joahnys Argilagos went up against Olympic champion Hasanboy Dusmatov from Uzbekistan. Both landed eye catching single shots in a close first round with Dusmatov on the front foot and Argilagos looking to counter. Dusmatov targeted the body very effectively in round 2 and whilst Argilagos displayed excellent movement he was being forced backwards and simply wasn’t doing enough offensively. The last round again saw Dusmatov pressing the action but it was the Cuban who got the judge’s verdict by split decision.

The flyweights (52kg) were up next with Cuba’s Yosbany Veitia taking on Uzbekistan’s Jasurbek Latipov. Veitia showed plenty of patients and edged a fairly quiet opening stanza. Latipov struggle to find the range for most of round 2 but the Uzbek had some minor success as the round progressed. Latipov loaded up on the right hand in the final 3 minutes but Veitia caught Latipov with a cracking body shot resulting in a standing 8 count and it was the Cuban who claimed the deserved unanimous decision.

The bantamweight (56kg) final was contested between Kazakhstan’s Kairat Yeraliyev and America’s Duke Ragan. Both landed with a few flurries in a nip and tuck opening round. The pace picked up significantly in round 2 with the greater volume coming from Yeraliyev but the accuracy was with Ragan. The 3rd round was very messy with lots of clinching and wrestling and as we went to the cards it was Yeraliyev who took the split decision in a pretty poor bout in all honesty.

It was Uzbekistan v Cuba at light welterweight (64kg) with Ikboljon Kholdarov versus Andy Cruz. Cruz produced a boxing masterclass in the opening round with Kholdarov being picked off with consummate ease. Round 2 followed a similar vein and Kholdarov had an absolute mountain to climb. The Uzbek tried everything he could but to no avail and Cruz romped home to a unanimous decision producing as good a boxing display as you could wish to see.

Next up at welterweight (69kg) Uzbekistan’s Shakhram Giyasov faced Cuba’s Roniel Iglesias. Giyasov made a really bright start and outworked Iglesias in round 1. There were some terrific exchanges in the 2nd but Giyasov continued to be far busier than his opponent. Iglesias came in to things at the beginning of the 3rd but Giyasov would not be denied and the Uzbek claimed the gold via a thoroughly deserved unanimous point’s verdict.

The middleweights (75kg) then entered the ring with Abilkhan Amankul from Kazakhstan squaring off against Oleksandr Khyzhniak. Khyzhniak flew out of the blocks to begin round 1 but Amankul used the range to land some quality straight punches in an entertaining stanza. The Ukrainian maintained his incessant pressure in round 2 and Amankul was fading rapidly. Khyzhniak’s relentless bombardment never stopped in the final 3 minutes and he prevailed by unanimous decision to take gold.

Lastly at super heavyweight (+91kg) Kanshybek Kunkabayev from Kazakhstan took on Azerbaijan’s Mahammadrasul Majidov. Majidov attempted to close the distance but was caught with a few decent shots from Kunkabayev in a first round containing little action. Majidov had fantastic success with the left hook in round 2 and a clash of heads left Kunkabayev with a cut which only gave the Azeri even more encouragement. Kunkabayev held the centre of the ring at the start of the 3rd but he simply was unable to halt the forward march of Majidov and it was the man from Azerbaijan who was declared the winner via split decision.

The 2nd day of semi-final action took place in Hamburg with the other 10 finalists being decided.

At flyweight (52kg) Korea’s Kim Inkyu had Uzbekistan’s Jasurbek Latipov in the other corner. Kim made the aggressive start and took the fight to Latipov but a right hand made the Korean touch down but no count was issued. Kim really loaded up on his punches in round 2 but the accuracy was badly lacking from both men. Again in round 3 there was a huge amount of missing until Latipov caught Kim with a solid right hand and it was the Uzbek who took the unanimous decision to move on to the final where he will face Yosbany Veitia who prevailed via split decision over Russia’s Tamir Galanov.

At lightweight (60kg) Mongolia’s Otgondalai Dorjnyambu was up against France’s Sofiane Oumiha. Dorjnyambu was on the front foot from the get go and made a very positive start but the Mongolian suffered a cut and Oumiha was finding his timing by the end of the first stanza. The Frenchman carried on his good work from the end of round 1 in to the 2nd, tagging Dorjnyambu repeatedly with the counter right hand. Both landed with quality shots in a thoroughly enjoyable final 3 minutes but it was Oumiha who claimed the unanimous verdict and he will take on Cuba’s Lazaro Alvarez who saw off Otar Eranosyan of Georgia by unanimous decision.

It was an all Asian contest at welterweight (69kg) with Uzbek Shakhram Giyasov versus Kazak Ablaikhan Zhussupov. Both landed a few single shots of note in an otherwise quiet opening round. Giyasov upped the tempo and landed numerous right hands in round 2 and a previously suffered cut opened up giving Zhussupov an extra issue to deal with. Zhussupov caught Giyasov with a terrific left hand right at the start of round 3 with Giyasov retaliating almost immediately. The pair then gave it their all for the rest of the round but it was Giyasov who advanced to the final via split decision where he will square off against Cuba’s Roniel Iglesias who overcame Germany’s Abass Barraou by split decision.

Up next were the light heavyweights (81kg) and Ireland’s Joe Ward took on Bektemir Melikuziev from Uzbekistan with the winner to face formidable Cuban Julio Cesar La Cruz who beat Ecuador’s Carlos Mina by unanimous decision. Ward was content to fight on the back foot and was very comfortable in the opening stanza. Melikuziev pressed the action a lot more in round 2 and had far more success as the 2 met in some toe-to-toe exchanges. The Uzbek was putting everything in to his punches but Ward landed the cleaner shots and it was the Irishman who won the split decision in a very tight contest that could have easily gone the other way.

Finally it was time for the big men at super heavyweight (91+kg) and Kazakhstan’s Kanshybek Kunkabayev took on Cameroon’s Fokou Arsene. Kunkabayev controlled proceedings in the first as Arsene telegraphed his big right hand. Arsene was beginning to gain some momentum in round 2 before a right jab resulted in a standing 8 count and the man from Cameroon needed a big turnaround. Despite his best efforts in the 3rd Arsene had come up short and it was Kunkabayev who gained the unanimous points victory and the Kazak will be up against Azerbaijan’s Mahammadrasul Majidov who overcame Australia’s Joe Goodall on a split decision.

​We are now at the semi-final stage in the 2017 world championships in Hamburg and there was still plenty of Asian interest.

Kicking things off at light flyweight (49kg) Cuba’s Joahnys Argilagos was up against Kazakhstan’s Zhomart Yerzhan. Both were incredibly measured and patient in the opening round with Argilagos just about getting the better of things. The pace remained the same in round 2 and Argilagos was in cruise control and Yerzhan needed to change tactics and quickly. Yerzhan finally landed a good southpaw left in round 3 but was immediately met with a response and the Cuban eased home to a unanimous decision win.

The 2nd semi at light flyweight (49kg) was a rematch of last year’s Olympic final with Colombia’s Yurberjen Martinez versus Hasanboy Dusmatov from Uzbekistan. Martinez as per norm was on the front foot and set a very high tempo but Dusmatov went with the Colombian in a tight opening round of the highest calibre. Dusmatov displayed outstanding accuracy in the 2nd round but the work rate of Martinez never relented. In a sensational last stanza Martinez hammered away at the body with Dusmatov looking to pick his shots but it was the Uzbek who prevailed via unanimous decision in a real treat that was worthy of being the final.

It was then on to the bantamweights (56kg) and Kazak Kairat Yeraliyev took on England’s Peter McGrail. McGrail used the southpaw left hand to good effect in a closely fought opening round where Yeraliyev also enjoyed his successes. Yeraliyev picked up the pace in round 2 but McGrail was still moving well and it was all to play for going in to the last. Yeraliyev seem to be struggling with the pace slightly in the final round but the Kazak did enough to take the unanimous verdict.

The other bantamweight (56kg) semi was a tussle between India and America with Gaurav Bidhuri against Duke Ragan. Ragan had the quicker hands and boxed well from range but Bidhuri landed with a good counter right hand in the opening round. The aggression was being shown by Bidhuri but the quality punches were coming from Ragan who boxed extremely well in the 2nd round. Despite his effort Bidhuri was frustrated and unable to get inside and was outclassed by Ragan who took the unanimous decision.

In the light welterweight (64kg) division Freddy Rojas from the US squared off against Uzbekistan’s Ikboljon Kholdarov. Both men launched big shots in a quite scrappy and wild opening 3 minutes. Kholdarov scored with some big shots in round 2 but Rojas was content to box at range and keep the punches long. As well as plenty of missing both landed with some hard shots in an exciting final round but it was Kholdarov who claimed the split points win and he will face Cuba’s Andy Cruz who put on an exhibition to defeat Armenia’s Hovhannes Bachkov.

Moving on to the middleweights (75kg) and Abilkhan Amankul of Kazakhstan faced Kamran Shakhsuvarly of Azerbaijan. Shakhsuvarly landed a solid shot in the early stages but Amankul maintained his composure and fought well at distance for much of the rest of the opening round. Shakhsuvarly buckled Amankul with a big hook in round 2 and landed the harder shots. The Kazak responded brilliantly in round 3, boxing from range and outworking his opponent and he got the split decision to advance to the final where he will meet Ukraine’s Oleksandr Khyzhniak who proved too strong for America’s Troy Isley.

Finally it was time for the heavyweights (91kg) and Russia’s Evgeny Tishchenko clashed with Sanjar Tursunov from Uzbekistan. Tishchenko was allowed to fight at his own pace in the opening round. Tursunov had more success in the 2nd but he wasn’t throwing enough punches. Tursunov looked for the knockout punch but it never looked like coming and Tishchenko went through to the final via unanimous decision.

The other last 4 encounter at heavyweight (91kg) was an Olympic semi-final rematch from last year with Vassiliy Levit from Kazakhstan versus Cuba’s Erislandy Savon. Both exchanged jabs in a tight and tense opening stanza. Levit came in to things more in round 2 but the pace and the distance were still suiting Savon more. Savon then used the jab to great effect in the last 3 minutes to claim the deserved split decision.

The 2017 world championships have been taking place in Hamburg Germany and we reached the quarter-final stage with plenty of Asian involvement.

The afternoon session kicked off at light flyweight (49kg) as Colombia’s Yurbejen Martinez faced Mongolia’s Gan- Erdene Gankhuyag. Gankhuyag started pretty well in the opening round and managed to stay with the high work rate of Martinez as both men landed with plenty of punches. Gankhuyag began to really feel the pace in round 2 and he was given a standing 8 count as Martinez assumed full control. Martinez never relented and another standing 8 count put the seal on a unanimous decision for the Olympic silver medallist.

Staying at light flyweight (49kg) Kazak Zhomart Yerzhan was up against Russian Vasilii Egorov. Egorov’s quick feet and in and out movement saw him take a close opening round. Yerzhan had success with the straight left hand in round 2 and his accuracy definitely improved. Yerzhan again had success from range but things became untidy in the final round which brought Egorov right back in to proceedings. We went to the cards and it was Yerzhan who got the unanimous decision in what was an incredibly tight bout.

Reigning Olympic champion at light flyweight (49kg) Hasanboy Dusmatov had Indian Amit Phangal as his last 8 opponent. These 2 met in the semi-finals of this year’s Asian championships in a very close contest. Both defences were difficult to breach in the first round with very few punches landing. Amit opened up more offensively and took round 2. Dusmatov used his experience to win the 3rd and take the unanimous decision in what was a very competitive encounter and Amit again showed he’s a bright talent for India going forward.

It was then on to the bantamweights (56kg) as Kairat Yeraliyev from Kazakhstan took on German Omar El-Hag. El-Hag came out with the intention of making it a fight but by the end of the opening 3 minutes Yeraliyev was beginning to find his range. Yeraliyev then controlled the pace in round 2 and picked El-Hag apart with quality combinations. Yeraliyev simply played with El-Hag in round 3 and won a deserved unanimous decision.

Also at bantamweight (56kg) Tunisia’s Bilel Mhamdi was up against Gaurav Bidhuri from India. This was a real clash of styles with Bidhuri pouring forward and wanting to fight inside and Mhamdi preferring to keep it at range. After a close opening stanza Mhandi was deducted a point for use of the head in round 2 and was up against it. Both swung for the fences in the final round with Mhamdi possibly landing the cleaner blows but a cut to the Tunisian brought the bout to a halt with 20 seconds to go. We went to the cards and it was Bidhuri who claimed the unanimous decision to grab a guaranteed medal at his first world championships.

Lastly at bantamweight (56kg) it was America’s Duke Ragan versus China’s Zhang Jiawei. Ragan attempted to use the jab but fell short in the first round with Zhang darting in and out with punches. The American found the target far more frequently in round 2 and looked assured. For some reason Ragan’s output dropped in the 3rd but it didn’t prove to be costly and he was awarded the unanimous verdict.

Moving on to the light welterweight (64kg) division Armenia’s Hovhannes Bachkov squared off against Mongolia’s Chinzorig Baatarsukh. Baatarsukh made a good start but by the end of the 1st Bachkov had imposed himself on the contest. Baatarsukh did a much better job at keeping his opponent at bay whilst Bachkov landed some solid body shots and continued to press the action in round 2. Bachkov threw the kitchen sink at Baatarsukh who withstood the onslaught and landed with some good shots of his own in a frantic final round. With not much to separate them it was Bachkov who won the split decision to advance to the semi-finals.

Uzbek Ikboljon Kholdarov had the task of defeating home fighter Artem Harutyunyan at light welterweight (64kg). In an eventful opening round Kholdarov lost a point and was unlucky not to be awarded a knockdown. Harutyunyan was floored by a terrific counter right hook at the start of round 2 and the Uzbek scored with more solid hooks and straight shots. Another point deduction for use of the shoulder at the start of the final round left Kholdarov in a really tight spot and Harutyunyan was competitive in rounds 1 and 3 and looked to have done enough allowing for the point deductions, however it was Kholdarov who was declared the winner via split decision.

The Middleweights (75kg) then entered the ring with Cuba’s Arlen Lopez taking on Kazak Abilkhan Amankul. Not much of consequence was landed by either man in the opening 3 minutes. Both scored with jabs in the 2nd before Lopez landed with some hard punches to win the round. Lopez was trying to make the fight in the final round with again not much of note landed but it was Amankul who was a touch fortunate to get the split decision to avenge his WSB final loss to Lopez from July.

Also at middleweight (75kg) Israil Madrimov from Uzbekistan clashed with American Troy Isley. In a cracking opening round Madrimov dug in some hurtful looking punches but Isley responded well and scored with some quality shots of his own. Isley targeted the body with decent success in round 2 but Madrimov was still dangerous. With it all to play for going in to the last, Madrimov simply outworked Isley but it was the American who was awarded the split decision rather fortunately.

Up at heavyweight (91kg) the outstanding Kazak Vassiliy Levit faced Australian Jason Whateley. Levit took his time early on but by the end of the first stanza he already had the measure of his opponent. Levit was using Whateley as target practise in round 2 with the Australian showing plenty of guts to stay in the fight. The last round was very much the same and Levit took the deserved unanimous decision.

Roy Korving from the Netherlands was up against Uzbek Sanjar Tursunov at heavyweight (91kg) Tursunov picked his shots nicely to win a quiet opening round. Korving offered no offensive threat at all and Tursunov eased home to what should have been a unanimous decision victory but 1 judge somehow gave the bout to Korving but was thankfully overruled by the other 4.

The evening session began in the flyweight (52kg) division with India’s Kavinder Bisht taking on Korea’s Kim Inkyu. Kim was immediately on to the front foot and made an aggressive start in the opening round. Kim’s greater physical strength proved to be the difference in round 2 and a cut to the eye of Bisht due to a head clash gave the Indian further problems. Bisht was deducted a point for holding in round 3 and Kim rightly won the unanimous decision.

Staying at flyweight (52kg) Jasurbek Latipov of Uzbekistan took on Colombia’s Seiber Avila. Avila probably edged most of the opening 3 minutes but Latipov had his moments as the round progressed. It was again tricky to split them in round 2 with landed punches at a premium. Both gave it their all in the final round but it was Latipov who prevailed via split decision in a gruelling clash that could have gone either way.

It was then on to the lightweights (60kg) with Mongolia’s Otgondalai Dorjnyambuu facing Luis Cabrera from Venezuela. Cabrera floored Dorjnyambuu with a beautiful left hand in what was the standout moment in round 1. Dorjnyambuu was the aggressor in round 2 but there wasn’t always method to his tactic and at times he smothered his work. Dorjnyambuu never stopped coming forward in the 3rd and he was awarded the split decision in a really tight encounter.

Also at lightweight (60kg) Georgia’s Otar Eraanosyan was up against Elnur Abduraimov from Uzbekistan. The pair traded blows in a highly entertaining opening stanza. The toe-to-toe action continued in a brilliant 2nd round but it felt like it was exactly the sort of fight that Eraanosyan desired. Abduraimov had success with straight shots early on in round 3 but Eraanosyan roared back and took the unanimous decision in a fabulous fight.

Next up at welterweight (69kg) Uzbekistan’s Shakhram Giyasov took on England’s Pat McCormack. McCormack boxed well off the back foot in the opening round with Giyasov being made to miss for the most part. Giyasov ended the 2nd round well but was being frustrated by McCormack who was boxing very smartly and countering well. Giyasov pursued McCormack who maintained his composure but it was the Uzbek who was declared the victor via unanimous decision.

Still at welterweight (69kg) Mongolia’s Tuvshinbat Dyamba was up against Germany’s Abass Barraou. Both were on the front foot which made for a highly entertaining affair. Barao seem to be a slight step ahead over the first 2 rounds and the pair left it all in the ring in round 3 and it was Barraou who gained the unanimous decision in a wonderful fight to watch.

Staying in the welterweight (69kg) division Kazakhstan’s Ablaikhan Zhussupov squared off against Gabriel Maestre from Venezuela. Zhussupov peppered his man with southpaw lefts and boxed excellently to win the opening round. Maestre continued to struggle with the movement of his opponent but a clash of heads gave Zhussupov a bad cut to deal with. Round 3 was rather scrappy but Zhussupov did enough to stay out of trouble and take the split decision.

Up at light heavyweight (81kg) it was an all Asian clash between Kazakhstan’s Yerik Alzhanov and Uzbekistan’s Bektemir Melikuziev. Alzhanov landed a cracking right hand which proved to be the best punch in round 1. Melikuziev got to grips with proceedings slightly more in round 2 and Alzhanov was becoming less and less accurate. After a final round that was blighted by interruptions it was Melikuziev who managed to grind out the split decision and advance to the semi-finals.

Tajikistan’s Shabbos Megmatulloev was in action against Ecuador’s Carlos Mina at light heavyweight (81kg). Mina used the jab to good effect in round 1 and tried to make his extra size count. Megmatulloev landed some neat shots to the body but after 2 rounds it was difficult to separate them. Mina dominated the final round and the man from Ecuador claimed the deserved unanimous point’s victory.

Finally at super heavyweight (91+kg) it was another all Asian tussle as Bakhodir Jalolov from Uzbekistan tangled with Kanshybek Kunkabayev. Jalolov manage to box at range in the opening round and Kunkabayev was made to miss repeatedly. The pattern of the contest then changed as Kunkabayev got close and forced Jalolov backwards in round 2. With the Uzbek now desperately weary Kunkabayev poured on the pressure and Jalolov had to clinch and hold on numerous occasions. We went to the scorecards and it was Kunkabayev who rightly took the split decision and gained revenge for his defeat at the hands of Jalolov at the Asian championships in the process.

By Marcus Bellinger​Amidst all the chaos which has seen AIBA, the governing body of amateur boxing plunged in to a huge power struggle in recent months it would be very easy to forget that there is in fact an upcoming world championships on the horizon. The event takes place in Hamburg Germany from August 25 to September 3rd and sees fighters from all over the globe compete to try and win the much coveted gold medal.

We take a look at 3 pugilists from the Asian continent who have the capability of at least grabbing a medal if not finishing at the top spot.

Abilkhan Amankul, Kazakhstan, middleweight (75kg).At first viewing in a WSB bout in Russia it was immediately clear that this young man oozed class and was a future superstar. Amankul’s opponent that day, Radzhab Radzhabov was fortunate to survive the 5 rounds and the Kazak had shown a great temperament to prevail on away soil. His only WSB loss in 5 bouts was in this year’s final against world and Olympic champion Arlen Lopez in a nip and tuck encounter. After winning various Youth tournaments in 2015 including his national title, Amankul moved up to the senior level in 2016 capturing national glory in the process. The 20-year-old is extremely technically efficient and possesses plenty of power and the Asian Championship Bronze Medallist should be in the mix for gold in Hamburg.

Israil Madrimov, Uzbekistan, middleweight (75kg).One of the most exciting and explosive fighters around, Madrimov has an unblemished 3-0 record in the World Series of Boxing. The 22-year-old likes to fight in bursts and when he lets go with combinations he does it with real authority and with bad intentions. He can leave himself open at times and sometimes does give the impression that he could be out boxed but he showed excellent maturity and poise when scoring a unanimous decision in this season’s WSB quarter-final first leg clash with Arlen Lopez. Madrimov won welterweight Silvers at the 2013 Asian Youth championships, 2014 Asian Games and at the 2014 Uzbek nationals before moving up to middleweight to take national gold in 2016. He qualified for this year’s world championships by claiming gold at the Asian championships in Tashkent. And will be a difficult man to beat for every other middleweight.

Kavinder Singh Bisht, India, flyweight (52kg).As one of the new generation of gifted Indian boxers Singh travels to his first world championships with plenty to gain and not a whole lot to lose. A good work rate and consistent combination puncher make Singh a fan friendly fighter to watch and his style should appeal to the judges. The youngster booked his place in Germany by winning his box-off at the Asian Championships via walkover but showed plenty of promise in his quarter-final defeat to eventual gold medallist Jasurbek Latipov in that same tournament. Given flyweight is arguably the most wide open of all the divisions a medal of some sort for Singh is definitely a possibility.

The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology and was used by early Greek and Roman poets referring back to when mankind lived in a better time and were pure. As a metaphor it is used when describing a period in a field of endeavor when great tasks were accomplished and it is often used when referring to an outstanding point in time for a team/country in sport or a particular genre of music or film.

In boxing circles over the last year or so we have been told by a number of scribes and pundits that this is a golden age of British boxing and whilst in certain aspects such as crowds, the number of big events and TV coverage you can make a strong argument in terms of quality of fighters and number of elite operators I think it is at best debatable.One nation who is undoubtedly experiencing a golden age of talent inside the ring is Japan and in this piece we aim to come up with some of the reasons why and explore the unique boxing scene of the land of the rising sun.

SetupJapan certainly isn’t an amateur powerhouse on the international front but a strong high school system is the breeding ground for much of the young outstanding talent that is currently making waves in the sport and all 10 of the reigning titlists (interim/regular not included) are below the age of 30. Japan has a rich history of producing quality fighters especially from 105 to 130 lb giving young boxers plenty of potential heroes to aspire to.​When turning professional a fighter aligns themselves to a Gym who handle all the promotional and managerial responsibilities. In house contests are not permitted by the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC so although there are more notable and larger Gyms there isn’t the same disparity between stables as there is for example in the US or the UK for obvious reasons. Fighters also regularly appear on other promoters shows and there is definitely a more flexible approach in many areas of the sport and being with a smaller Gym doesn’t mean you can’t reach the top.

BeltsThe JBC certainly have a unique outlook when it comes to belts as there are only 4 other straps sanctioned apart from the 4 universally recognised world titles. These are the WBC Youth, the domestic, OPBF and very recently the WBO Asia Pacific. For those unaware the OPBF (Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation) is an affiliate of the WBC and is the Asian equivalent of the European title.​For a fighter to be able to challenge for a world title in Japan they must have won either the Japanese, OPBF or WBO Asia Pacific bauble first. This gives the land of the rising sun arguably the strongest domestic structure in the world and boxers must prove they are the best in the country and the region before moving onto world level. We’ve often seen Japanese pugilists winning world hardware in under 10 fights but because they are properly tested before hand the likes of Kazuto Ioka, Naoya Inoue and Kosei Tanaka have handled the step up with aplomb. Also it’s a rare occasion that a fighter from Japan will look out of their depth in a world title clash especially from strawweight to super featherweight. It should also be stated that only in 2013 were the WBO and IBF finally recognised by the JBC and this of course has given boxers more options when challenging for world titles.

TVPay-per view is an often strongly debated issue around the world but the model is null and void in Japan with terrestrial channels broadcasting a vast amount of top flight boxing in the country. Fuji TV, NTV, TBS, TV Tokyo and CBC are the main free to air outlets that showcase many of the countries biggest stars giving them a huge platform and reach.A handful of fighters have deals with a specific network and notable world title bills that are on free to air TV in Japan are routinely viewed by millions of people. Kazuto Ioka and Shinsuke Yamanaka have attracted audiences of 8 million and the bout between Ryota Murata and Hassan N’Dam was watched by over 10 million and this shows there’s a huge appetite for boxing. TV is split regionally across the country so different areas have different channels so ratings for the whole nation are not always available. Satellite channels G+ and WOWOW broadcast some local cards and international fights and online pay services Boxingraise and ASign have given youngsters and domestic and regional boxers a much needed platform to display their skills.

​Final summaryThere’s no doubt with the number of belts that it is easier these days to capture a world strap but the speed in terms of time and number of fights which many Japanese fighters are claiming world titles shouldn’t be underestimated and more often than not they are defeating solid opposition to do it. With a cluster of emerging talent ready to challenge on the world stage and some superb starlets in the amateur ranks the golden age of Japanese boxing is highly unlikely to be a flash in the pan and expect the country to be a huge force over the next decade.